Comatose
by emiz.12
Summary: Sequel to Rumor Has It: Rose and Dimitri are now in Russia. While the Belikovas know of Viktoria's fate, they are unaware that the starcrossed couple plans to find the youngest Belikova.
1. Preface

There's a time for love, and there's a time for friendship. For nearly eighteen years, friendship dominated my life. For the last few weeks, love has dominated my life. Though if I put an immense amount of thought into it, love and a new kind of friendship have begun to dominate my life. While Lissa and I had known each other for years and been through a lot, there were just some things I could not trust her with. There were things about my life that she would never understand. In comparison to Lissa Dragomir, Dimitri Belikov was a different type of best friend. He understood me on a level that Lissa couldn't even imagine. He's had similar experiences to me. He knew the trauma of losing a best friend. He knew what it was like to guard another with his life. I could tell him things I was far too afraid to even think about telling Lissa. It was like Dimitri and I were made for each other, two halves of a whole.

He was my best friend.

He was my lover.

That's why I broke her heart when I left.

That's why I chose Dimitri over Lissa.

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><p><strong>AN: **Voila! The preface to Comatose, everyone.  
>I'm working on the first chapter now, so be on the lookout!<p> 


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I am not Richelle Mead and do not own any of these characters. I simply own the storyline. The phrases in italics between sections are from Skillet's "Comatose."

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><p>The Belikovas hosted a memorial service for Viktoria. A large portion of the town, vampires and humans a like, was there to pay their respect. Toward the end, we all sat around a fire to share stories about the tainted Belikova. Half the time I didn't understand what anyone said because they spoke in Russian, but it was obvious that they all appreciated Viktoria's humor and charm.<p>

The following morning, I woke as the sunrise streamed through the window. Dimitri's arm was lazily laid across my waist and he was snoring softly. I didn't want to wake him, but damn, was I hungry. So I slowly rolled out from under his limp limb and changed into jeans and a sweater.

I walked into the hallway to smell something absolutely wonderful. It was similar to the smell of pancakes but not… I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Olena Belikova stood at the stove, cooking whatever produced that wonderful aroma.

I began walking toward her to see what it was, but someone interrupted me. "Rose? What are you doing here?"

_Oh dammit_. I turned to the dining table and saw Tasha Ozera sitting there. Why, I did not know, but I didn't want to see her. But I forced a smile anyway. "Alberta thinks I'd do better if I have legitimate field experience, so I'm accompanying Dimitri during his stay."

Tasha smiled, though her pupils grew smaller. _Fake bitch._ "That's a wonderful idea. I'm sure that just thrills the princess."

There was a stabbing pain in my chest at the mentioning of Lissa, but I chose to ignore it. Instead I chose to fight bitchiness with bitchiness. "Sure she is. Have you gone to see your nephew yet? He fought valiantly in the invasion and raid."

Her smile fell. "Not yet. I planned on visiting the academy once I stayed here for a few days." _A few days?_ "Besides, I spoke to him as soon as my plane landed. He's fine."

"But wh—"

"Good morning, everyone," came a voice behind me. _Dimitri_. He stepped beside me, surely ready to kiss me, but he stopped when he saw scar face. "Tasha?"

"Dimka!" Tasha exclaimed as she shot up from the table and threw herself at Dimitri. She went to kiss his cheek, but he pushed her away. Offended, she huffed, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he replied coolly.

"Breakfast!" Olena shouted just as Tasha went to say something. I glanced over at her, and I nearly laughed at the satisfied smirk she wore.

Tasha returned to her seat, looking expectant. As if Dimitri would sit next to her. Instead he sat at the end of the table, and I took the seat next to him. Yeva and Dimitri's other sisters entered.

"Roza, behave," Dimitri whispered.

I about stuck my tongue out at him, but someone kicked my shin. I glared at Yeva, but she was already engaged in conversation with who I assumed to be Sonya, going by her pregnant belly.

"Aunt Roza!" I looked up just in time to be glomped by Paul. I teetered in my chair but managed to not fall with some help from Dimitri. Paul quickly kissed my cheek and ran to an empty seat on the other end of the table.

"_Aunt_?" Tasha asked.

"We visited the academy not too long ago. Paul became quite attached to Roza," Olena replied.

"All right," Tasha said slowly before picking at her food.

I grabbed a fork and went to cut a piece of the pancake-not-pancake food when Dimitri leaned toward me. "They're blini," he said quietly. "They're like pancakes but not."

"Thanks for clearing that up, comrade," I said sarcastically.

He was smiling as he took his first bite. "These are delicious, Mama," he said once done.

"Mama," I snorted. "That's so cute."

He wore a boyish smile then. Other than Yeva, he was probably the only one who heard it. Satisfied, I finally took my first bite and instantly fell in love. "I hope you can cook like this," I quietly told Dimitri after scarfing one down.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, one of us needs to know how to cook; I can't fix toast without burning it, so it has to be you."

He rolled his eyes and went back to eating. _Victory_. I started to eat again and just eavesdrop on other conversations.

"…to the academy in a few days," rambled Tasha. "My nephew, Christian, suggested I come here first. How are you all doing?"

And suddenly there was far too much tension for anyone to be comfortable. Dimitri reached breaking point and excused himself from the table. I went to do the same when Olena stopped me. "Give him a few minutes first, Roza."

I sighed and began pushing around one of the blini to pass the time.

"I didn't mean to upset anyone. I'm sorry," Tasha said. "Rose, I'll go apologize to him."

"No," I responded, stabbing the food with my fork. "Don't you think you've done enough damage?"

"Rose—"

"No, of course you don't. You're too blinded by your obsession with Dimitri that you believe you can get away with anything at the batter of your eyelashes and seams of your wallet." I stood, glaring at her. "Guess what, Tasha? You're his friend and nothing more. Get that through your head before you hurt yourself and whatever chances you have left."

Before she could reply, I stormed upstairs and tried to open Dimitri's door, but it wouldn't budge. "Dimitri," I said softly. "Come on, open the door. It's just me."

I heard the bed shift and footsteps, and soon the door was cracked open. Dimitri stood there, his face lined more than it had been in days. "Roza, I want to be alone for a little while."

I sighed. "Can we just talk first? I'll leave you alone after that."

Hesitantly he opened the door and let me in. He lay on the bed again, so I sat beside him. I took his hand closest to me and laced my fingers with his.

"You know that you don't have to come to my aid every time something happens, right?" he asked as he began rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb.

"I know." I lay beside him then, staring at our entwined hands. "You know how I am, though. I hate seeing you upset."

"I know you do, and I appreciate that. I'm a big boy now, though, Roza."

At that I laughed. "Well, sometimes I wonder." I could almost hear his eyes roll, which made me laugh more. "I love you, though."

"I love you, too." He raised our hands up and kissed the back of mine. "I don't deserve you."

"Yeah, well, you have me. Don't complain."

He chuckled. "Maybe we should tell Tasha. It would make this a little less awkward."

"Doubt it." I squeezed his hand. "She's in love with you. That won't stop as soon as she finds out we're together."

He cursed under his breath. "You'd think she got the message when I turned down her offer."

"You'd think, but she didn't." _Stupid bitch_. "You'll probably have a lot of trouble getting rid of that one."

"Roza," he tried warning me, but his laughter kept me from taking him seriously. When I giggled, he released my hand and rolled on top of me. "Why can I never act as your mentor?"

"Because you love me?"

He grinned and leaned down to kiss me, but the door swung open. Both of us turned in the direction of the door to see Karolina standing there. "Oh my gosh! My eyes!"

"If you had knocked, you wouldn't have that problem," Dimitri retorted.

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Dimka," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Mama wants to know if you're all right."

"Just fine now." He sat up, still pinning me down. "Roza and I will be downstairs in a moment."

She giggled and quietly shut the door.

Dimitri waited for her footsteps to fade before he looked down at me mischievously. "We'll have to continue this later."

And so Dimitri and I made our way back downstairs. Everyone was in the living room watching television at that point. A pissy Dimitri ignored his friend's presence and guided me over to the loveseat on the other side of the room.

Despite it being daytime, the room was dark. Dimitri took hold of my hand, gave it a squeeze, and let go. I looked up, seeing an apologetic smile on his handsome face. I looked across the room, barely seeing Tasha's fleeting eyes.

"Don't," Dimitri warned.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, _don't_ spare _my _feelings."

He sighed, and we exchanged glances. We didn't need a spirit-induced bond to know what the other was thinking. We just knew.

After a few minutes of pretending I knew what was being said, I feigned being tired. So I lay back, effectively using Dimitri's lap as a pillow. And while most think a lap would be uncomfortable, I thought the exact opposite. I felt Dimitri's hands come to rest on my waist and shoulder. There was a sense of right by being intimate, no matter how discrete.

I lazily glanced across the room. Olena was smiling. I thought back to the day I had to say goodbye to her and what she told me. By some miracle, I made Dimitri happy, and Olena loved me for it. I was like a fourth daughter to her. I felt like I belonged for the first time in my life. I was home.

_Oh how I adore you_

"Now get into your fighting stance," Dimitri instructed. I did as he said, but clearly I wasn't up to satisfactory because he stepped right behind me and placed his hands on my hips. "No. Like this." He then slid one hand down my thigh and slowly repositioned my leg in front of me. "Have you been doing this incorrectly this entire time?" he asked huskily. This was so unlike the instructor Dimitri I was used to, but it was also a nice change. "Roza."

His other hand slid up and came to rest just below my bust, and I smiled. "Aren't you supposed to be training me, comrade?"

"Should I be? Yes. Do I want to be? No."

"What about Tasha?"

He sighed, and he loosened his grip. "Of all the practices—"

"I know, I know." I stepped away and turned around to face him. "I _want _to, but I don't _trust _her."

_Oh how I thirst for you_

"Rose, come on."

"Good. Learn some patience," I grumbled.

"_Roza_," Dimitri growled from the other side of the door. "What is taking you so long?"

"Nothing," I hummed as I straightened the hem of the black dress. Yes, _the_ black dress. I'd been able to sew—oh, who am I kidding? It was a cheap knockoff, but it looked the same. That was all that mattered.

Dimitri was taking me out to dinner, though Tasha thought we were going to a gym of some sort for some technical training.

"Roza, really, what are y—"

I turned around to see Dimitri in the doorway. His eyes scanned the length of my body, lingering at my chest, before they came to rest at my eyes.

"How'd you fix the dress?" he asked. His accent was heavier than I'd heard in a while.

"I have my ways," I answered mysteriously.

_I'll never wake up without an overdose of you_

Our first date.

Our first _real _date.

We didn't have to worry about being guardians. We didn't have to worry about what others thought. We could just be ourselves: Dimitri and Rose. For the first time in public.

"And now I can have you all to myself," Dimitri said quietly as we sat at a table.

"Just for a little while," I replied as I reached across the table. Dimitri did the same and took my hand in his. There was so much warmth and love in that little touch. He smiled, and I did too.

"How do you like Baia so far, Roza?"

"Well, it is a bit cold, but—"

"_Roza_," he chastised.

"Fine. I love it." I sighed. "Your family makes me feel so welcomed. I don't ever want to leave."

His smile grew wider. "They adore you, by the way."

"It's hard not to," I joked.

"You're right." He squeezed my hand. "There's just something likeable about you."

"And what—"

The waitress showed up then and started speaking in Russian, leaving me the odd one out and playing with the tablecloth. The only time I caught what she said was when she noticed Dimitri.

"Pascha, this is Rose," Dimitri said as he gestured toward me. "Rose, this is Pascha."

"Oh!" Pascha smiled. "Are you American?"

"Yes," I replied.

"How do you know Dimka?"

"She'll be guarding Princess Dragomir with me in just a matter of months," Dimitri replied smoothly.

Pascha looked at me, and then her eyes widened. "She looks just like _Zmey."_

Dimitri quickly said something in Russian, and Pascha noddedand walked away.

"Who's Smeeya?"

"_Zmey _happens to be your father."

"What's that word mean?"

"Snake."

"Snake?"

"Yes. Around here he doesn't have a _nice _reputation." Dimitri sighed. "He has his heart in the right place, but he doesn't necessarily _d_othe right things."

"Like a mob boss?" I whispered bitterly.

"Yes and no. Abe is charismatic and utilizes what he has to get what he wants." He frowned. "Let's not discuss this, though, Roza; we can talk later. This is a night for _us_."

As much as I wanted to know about the man who had walked into my life not even three days prior to that date, my desire to keep Dimitri happy, therefore distracted, was far greater.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Roza, we don't have to worry about anything right now. It's just you and me, and we're on a date."

"When did we switch roles?"

"When the plane landed," I replied as I squeezed his hand. "It's okay for you to let loose every now and then, comrade."

"I love you," he breathed.

"I know."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're so—"

"Charming? Beautiful? Intelligent?"

"—full of yourself."

I mock-glared at him. "Well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black."

"Liar."

"Am not—"

"And here we go. Borscht for the lovely couple." Pascha was back, and she set bowls of a reddish food in front of Dimitri and me. "I'll be in the back, if you need me."

"Just try it," Dimitri whispered. "It's a big dish here. If you don't like it, get something else."

I slowly picked up my spoon. Trust me, I was all for trying new food, but sometimes I was skeptical about anything that remotely resembled blood. May be a little extreme, but I digress…

"C'mon, Roza. It's delicious," Dimitri murmured just before shoving a spoonful into his mouth.

I sighed and quickly took a bite. After a few seconds I made eye contact with an expectant Dimitri.

"I like it," I said quietly. "Now stop acting like I'm one. The only thing you haven't done is take my spoon and try to feed me."

He rolled his eyes. "You'll thank me one day."

"Oh yeah, I'll come to appreciate being babied by my boyfriend."

We'd never really discussed what we were. I loved the man with all my heart, but he could be so frustrating. And I knew I could be the biggest bitch he's come across. At that last word, though, he smiled.

_The way you make me feel_

_Waking up to you never felt so real_

The next morning I woke to an arm securely wrapped around my waist. I snuggled into the broad, muscular, bare chest in front of me, and the arm tightened around me. I never wanted to leave. I was so comfortable. This was so—

The door swung open. Dimitri just grumbled something and tried to go back to sleep. I did my best to peek over his shoulder to see who had barged in. There stood Tasha. Her nose was buried in a western book, and she hadn't seen me yet, so I buried my face in Dimitri's chest once more.

"Dimka, I don't know what you see in these things," she said, flirting the best she could. "Do you think you could explain to me—" She stopped, and a few seconds later there was a thud. "Oh."

I felt Dimitri shift a little. "Good morning, Tasha."

"Morning…"

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"Just…nevermind." She sighed. "What's Rose doing in here?"

"She was injured in training last night, and we got to talking and just fell asleep." What an incredible liar.

"Oh, okay," she said slowly. "Well, when you get the chance, could you enlighten me on what's so fascinating about these books?"

"Sure," he replied. I punched his chest lightly. "I'm going back to sleep for a little while, Tash. Can you shut the door when you leave?"

"Yeah. Let's make it a date!" Her tone was far too cheerful for my liking. "Later, Dimka."

I waited for the door to click shut before pulling back and hitting Dimitri's chest again. "You jackass."

"Wh—Roza, c'mon. What was I supposed to say?"

"I don't know. Maybe that it isn't a date?"

"Then she'd know something was up."

"You're a flawless liar, Dimitri. I think you could have thought of something."

"Roza," he sighed. "I'll tell her that it's not a date. Okay?"

"Please do," I growled. "I don't like sharing."

"Good to know," he said with a smile and pulled me back toward him. "Now where were we last night?"

"Somewhere after the doctor helped the beautiful, injured patient."

"My favorite part," he whispered huskily before claiming my lips with his own.

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><p><strong>AN: **The first official chapter. It's fluffier than I intended, but I think that's a good thing in comparison to what I have in store for this. Trust me; it's going to be dramatic and adventurous.  
>Tell me what you think and what you're guessing will happen. (:<p> 


	3. Chapter Two

Dimitri really knew how to wish a girl a good morning. He made me feel euphoric, like I could conquer anything. His touch made my skin ablaze and my desire grow. My body ached for him, and when he was near, I felt weightless, as if those butterflies in my stomach would carry me away. I loved Dimitri Belikov.

_How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul_

Olena was out shopping with Sonya, Karolina, and Yeva. So I was stuck babysitting Paul and baby Zoya, while Dimitri beat Tasha off with words.

"Dimka, why do you love these things so much?"

I rolled my eyes as I listened to Tasha's flirting from the kitchen. I wish she would have taken the hint a couple months before when he turned down her offer to be her guardian with fringe benefits.

"Roza, are you and Uncle Dimka ever going to get married?" asked Paul. He stopped playing with his toy cars and looked at me.

"Maybe," I said quietly. "Not for a long, long time, though."

"Why?" He frowned. "If you love each other, you should get married."

I sighed. "It's complicated, Paul. Dimitri will expl—"

Zoya started crying, and I just wanted to knock myself out with one of the toy cars. However, I jumped to my feet and made my way over to the bassinet on the other side of the room. I picked Zoya up and gingerly rocked her back and forth. She quieted down, but she was still restless. Paul mumbled something about food and ran to the kitchen. That's when it hit me; maybe Zoya was hungry.

I carried her into the kitchen and got some formula out of the fridge. I sat down in a chair and began feeding her. She was absolutely adorable, and I couldn't help the smile that crept on my face.

"She likes you," Dimitri said quietly, though I detected a hint of sadness in his voice.

I forgot he was in there. I was so focused on tending to Zoya that nothing else mattered.

I looked up and saw him smiling at me, but his eyes told a different story. After another minute of feeding her, I passed her to Dimitri. Whatever sadness he was feeling disappeared. His smile grew with each second he held his niece. And then I understood his pain.

He and I would never be able to have our own children.

"Dimitri," I said carefully, "can I speak to you in private?"

He reluctantly looked up at me. "Now?"

"Preferably."

He sighed. "Tasha, we'll be back in a few minutes. Can you watch Paul and Zoya?"

There was a bored 'yes' off to my left. If she wanted to impress Dimitri, especially prove the fringe benefits weren't just for Dimitri's sake, that would have been the time to do so. Alas she didn't, and I mentally happy danced.

_And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one_

Dimitri sat on the edge of his bed, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and sat on his lap facing him. I quickly kissed his lips and rested my forehead against his.

"Rose, what's wrong?" he asked as his arms slid around my waist.

"You want children," I whispered.

"So do you."

I sighed. "I hate that I'm—"

"We've discussed this, Roza. Time and time again." He lightly kissed the corner of my mouth. "I want _you _to be the mother of my children. Not Tasha. Not anyone but _you_."

"But—"

"No." He sighed, and his breath tickled my skin. "Ivashkov can—"

"How about not?" I tightened my arms around his neck to pull myself closer. "Either you father my children, or there will never be much use for my uterus." He laughed, and I leaned in to kiss him. He immediately lay back, pulling me with him.

It was one of those kisses seen in romantic comedies. He'd smile and kiss me; I'd smile and kiss him. And while it may have been cheesy, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Dimitri was worth not ever being able to have children. Being in a loving relationship with no children was better than being in a loveless relationship with children. We balanced each other perfectly.

"I love you so much, Roza," Dimitri breathed when we both pulled away.

"I love you, too, comrade."

I felt weight removed from my waist and then finger tips brush hair behind my ear. He was grinning. "I heard what Paul asked you earlier."

"Did Tasha?"

He shook his head. "I tuned her out. I wanted to know what was going on with you."

Well, that caught my attention. "And?"

"Why do you think it will be a while before we would get married?" Sadness again.

"It's not that I don't want to. Trust me; I'd love nothing more than to let everyone know I'm yours and you're mine." I pursed my lips. "But being a guardian could really destroy a marriage. Plus, I'm not even out of high school yet. I think marriage so soon would just give more reason for a fight and—"

"I get it. You don't want the extra responsibility yet. I'd be the same way." He caressed my check. "Promise me something?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me when you're ready." He leaned up and lightly kissed me. "I want to jump at the chance to call you Missus Belikov."

_Missus Belikov_. Guardian _Belikov_. Rose Belikov. _Not_ Hathaway.

_I will never let you fall  
>I'll stand up with you forever<em>

Once we made it back downstairs, things were just as they had been earlier. Zoya lay in her basinet. Paul sat in the floor with his toys. Tasha was reading one of the western novels.

There was tension between Dimitri and me now. He was ready to settle down, but I wasn't. This was one of those moments when our age difference disagreed with us, and it sucked.

Instead of rejoining Paul on the floor, I collapsed on the couch. I wanted to drown in my self-loathing for hurting Dimitri. That hadn't been my intention at all.

"Aunt Roza?"

I grabbed the closest pillow and covered my face with it. Maybe if I didn't look at him, he'd let it go.

"Aunt Roza!"

I groaned and pulled the pillow down tighter. "Not right n—"

I couldn't finish. I was sucked into Lissa's mind. An assembly was being held at St. Vladimir's. Why? I had no idea, nor did Lissa.

"…why we're here today," Alberta's voice echoed throughout the gym. "Headmistress Kirova stepped down after the attacks, and I've been taking her place while we've been searching for a new headmaster." _Alberta, you better stay headmistress_, I thought angrily. "While I enjoy the job, I'm not fully qualified to be headmistress—" In other words she wasn't a Moroi, and Queen Tatiana would throw a bitch fit if Alberta held so much power for any longer than a few weeks. "—and my loyalties lie with being head guardian here." _Stupid racism. _"I'd like to introduce to you all to the new headmaster, Lord Eugene Lazar."

_A Lazar?_ _Tatiana sure had no say in this. _I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Eugene Lazar?" Christian whispered to Lissa.

She looked at him and frowned. "Not sure. There may not be many Lazars, but I don't know who he is."

"…daughter and son, Avery and Reed." Alberta again. "I trust you all will make them all feel welcomed here at St. Vladimir's."

Lissa looked in the direction of the Lazars standing beside Alberta. Eugene was smirking, surely smug with his new position of power. Avery, the daughter, looked like the biggest bitch I've ever seen, and that's saying something. And Reed, the son, looked like he hated the world.

Eugene took over the microphone, and just as he was about to speak, I was forced out of Lissa's mind. Yes, _forced_. I don't know how because I knew Lissa wasn't aware I was there.

I was back at the Belikovas' living room, staring up at the ceiling. I felt the most familiar hands holding my own.

"Rose?" he breathed. _Ouch_. "Is everything okay? Is the princess in danger?"

I shifted on the couch and looked at Dimitri. "Lissa's fine; Christian's with her. She was just really confused."

He raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"There's a new headmaster."

He frowned. "Who?"

"Eugene Lazar." I pulled one of my hands out of his grasp and rubbed my forehead. "He seems like an asshole, and so does his son. His daughter seems like a bitch, too."

Dimitri let go of my other hand and sat on the cushion beside me. "You're lucky we're not at the academy right now."

"Wouldn't make a difference," I replied with a shrug. "I'd still get the bitchy vibe from all three of them."

He sighed. "Rose…"

"What? There's something off about—"

"First impressions aren't always right." He smiled softly and placed his hand on top of mine. "If they were, I'd be some ass who tries to ruin your life."

"Well, you don't ruin my life."

He laughed, and the tension between us evaporated.

"Dimka?" Tasha called from the kitchen.

He gently squeezed my hand. "You're first to me, you know." I smiled weakly, and his smile fell a little. "Let me see what she wants. We'll talk later?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. He squeezed my hand again before he got up and left the room.

_I'll be there for you through it all_

_Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

A little while later, Paul convinced me to play Hide and Seek. Granted, it was a little unfair because he lived in the house, but I had a secret weapon: I was sleeping with the uncle.

I peeked into the kitchen. Dimitri was now reading a western novel, and Tasha was skimming through what looked like a cookbook. "Dimitri," I sang. He didn't look up, but the raise of his eyebrows was a signal he was listening. "Have you seen Paul anywhere?"

"You're trying to cheat," Dimitri said with a smirk as he set down his book.

"So?" I rolled my eyes. "He has the unfair advantage of living here."

He laughed. "You know where everything is."

"Maybe. What if he knows about a secret passage, though? Like that palace in France…Versatiles."

"_Versailles._" He rolled his eyes this time. "Rose, have you even tried to look for him?"

"Sure. I didn't see him in the living room, and I decided to check the kitchen. You just so happened to be here, so I had to ask."

"Rose—"

"C'mon, comrade. Please?"

"Regardless, you're cheating. Paul is _seven_, Rose."

"So?" When he didn't say anything, I crossed my arms. "You can't tell me you haven't cheated at Hide and Seek before."

"I don't cheat," he said smoothly. He crossed his arms as he leaned back in the chair. "There aren't any secret passageways in this house. Take it from someone who lived here for eighteen years."

"But you were eighteen _years _ago. For all you know—" One raised eyebrow was enough to shut me up. I grinned. "Kidding, gosh."

"I know." He smiled in return. "I'll _help _you find Paul. I don't have anything better to do anyway."

I glanced over at Tasha. The only sign of acknowledging what he said was her knuckles becoming slightly white. I wondered if Dimitri said anything to her earlier about not being interested, so I took a mental note to ask him later.

First of all, however, I had to seek a seven year-old.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know this is short, but for not having updated in a few months, I think this will have to do. I'm working on the next chapter already, so hopefully I'll update within the next few days. Watch out for a lime in it! ;D  
>Anyway, I've had a busy year thus far. I started writing for my university's paper, and I've been declared editor of it next year, which starts in about a month. This summer I've dealt with family troubles, which really took away from any me time.<p> 


	4. Chapter Three

_We could just go home right now  
>Or maybe we could stick around<br>For just one more drink, oh yeah_

I'm not sure how, but Hide and Seek turned into Tag.

And by Tag, I mean Paul quit a few minutes in and watched as Dimitri and I chased each other around the backyard. He probably had enough energy to beat either of us, but I think he wanted to see his uncle in action. And let me just say the yard wasn't the best place for a game of Tag, but we made it work. Each dodge and dash was retaliated, and every punch thrown and every kick, well, kicked was returned with greater force than the one before it. We knew each other

"Paul!" someone shouted from the house. My guess was that it was Karolina, but I didn't dare glance in her direction. "Go wash up for dinner!"

"Can I wait until someone wins? Please? Please, Mama?" Paul asked from the bench on which he was sitting. "I can't just leave. I want to know who wins!"

"Fine, but as soon as they're finished, go wash up," she said with a groan. A few seconds later, the door shut, and I assumed she returned inside the house.

Paul grinned like the Cheshire Cat, giving Dimitri and me his undivided attention. He thought the world of his guardian uncle and of any guardian or soon-to-be guardian.

Dimitri had me pinned before Karolina left the doorway.

Initially, I wanted to fight him off, but as a result of my colliding with the ground, there was a tingling pain in my lower back. Yet I was more concerned with the feel of every contour of his muscles and his hot breath on my neck as he nipped at my skin to finalize his victory.

I felt my body arch upward, and I did nothing to fight myself. I needed this. I needed him. I was fairly sure I hadn't yet relieved my sexual frustration from the night of the lust charm—despite how, well, involved Dimitri and I had been since the attack. The lust never seemed to dissipate.

"Dead," Dimitri whispered. He then turned his head and spoke in a leveled voice, "Go wash up, Paul. The sooner you do, the sooner you get to eat Babushka's apple cake." Paul's expression became impish, and he soon sprinted toward the house.

"Apple cake?" I hummed.

"The most delicious dessert you'll ever devour," Dimitri replied. "Especially Babushka's."

_Get another bottle out  
>Let's shoot the shit<br>Sit back down_

At the end of the day, I was exhausted enough that I collapsed face-first on the bed. Within seconds, the spot next to me sunk in, and a large hand was moving in soothing circles on my back. I repositioned myself so that the area between my shoulder blades received the most attention.

"Roza," Dimitri murmured. Too comfortable to move too much, I turned my head on its side to acknowledge him. He switched to using both hands now, focusing on my neck and shoulders, and continued speaking, "I know you're comfortable here—I am, too—but we can't stay here any longer. We'll only be putting everyone else in danger if we do."

"Where can we go?" I asked, frowning.

"That's up to your father and his guardians."

I scoffed. "Why?"

"He's funding this mission, Rose," he said, his tone a little frustrated. "Also, while we've been here with my family, they've been scouting some of the nearby larger cities. While you were playing games with Paul, Z—_Abe_ called and informed me that they've found a coven around Novosibirsk."

"So?" I went to rise into a sitting position, but his massaging hands had other ideas and kept me down. Grumbling, I lay once again. "That doesn't necessarily mean she's with them. What kind of evidence does the old man have?" I heard him sigh heavily in response—and if I had been looking at him, his eyes likely would have been closed. "Is his proof reason enough to challenge a coven?"

"If I know my sister and if she is anything like me, she would choose somewhere she knows and is attached to as a dwelling place. Baia itself is too small and far too conspicuous for anyone who has her knowledge, but Novosibirsk is relatively close and much larger." His hands ceased movement, and seconds later, I heard a soft thump and the comforter sink in again. One of his fingers lightly trailed the length of my arm. "Ever since Christmastime, covens have been on the rise all over the world. With one being so close, I have little doubt Vika's a part of it."

With a heavy sinking feeling of suspicion in my gut, I rolled onto my side and looked down at him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"What are you—" His hand lightly encircled my wrist, and his gaze may as well have pierced my soul. His question was left unspoken, but I understood it loud and clear.

"You always have your reasons for excluding me from knowing pertinent information, Dimitri," I said. "I know you far too well to be oblivious to when you're treating me like a child."

"I'm not, though," he said, voice rather small. "Treating you like a child, I mean."

"But you're keeping something from me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I trust you—" his other hand reached up and cupped my cheek "—but I know you as well as you know me. I know you'll react irrationally if I do tell you." I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't think of a rebuttal. Dammit. He tapped his thumb to my nose and laughed. "And you can't disagree."

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned my head away from him. He laughed again.

"Don't be petty, Roza," he mock-chastised. "Zmey isn't a horrible person, nor is he a bad father. He hasn't physically been by your side, but he _has_ been there. He's always funded a lot of what you've done, and if what Janine says is true, his funding our trip is all on his own accord. "

"How do you—" I smacked his hand away. "My school records! For months, you've known who my father is! You've known his identity this entire time and never told me!"

Dimitri propped himself up with his elbow, and his broad frame made me feel microscopic and regret my choice of words and actions. His expression was unreadable, absurdly stern, and his voice sounded like a dagger of ice repeatedly piercing my heart. "I've known because I've been your instructor this entire time. Per your mother's request, no one has been able to tell you until you were eighteen, but then the Strigoi uprising began; she informed the academy that your father would be visiting and that she would take care of introductions."

I wanted to yell, to scream, to punch someone—yet Dimitri was the only one around, and he had done nothing wrong; he had only followed orders. Defeated, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, trying to find patterns and force my anger aside.

"I respect your mother too much to disobey her orders; I couldn't tell you." One of his hands caressed my cheek again, and his tone lightened. "Every moment you didn't know, I hated myself a little more. To keep something so important from you—" He shook his head and brought his other hand up to cradle my face in his hands. "I am the worst excuse for a lover, boyfriend, mate—whatever I am to you, but I will make this up to you somehow. I promise."

"Don't," I said.

An argument brewed with the change of emotions in his eyes, and while I knew at the time that I should have allowed him to speak, my need to prove myself overpowered any reason to let him speak. I kissed his lips in hope of silencing him; he responded after a few seconds of my lips roughly moving his. My hands glided down the fabric of his shirt, and my fingers soon coiled around the shirt's hem.

Dimitri mimicked my actions and then took control.

Once an item of clothing was removed, his attention was appointed to the skin he had most recently exposed, and like the night of the lust charm, his lips brushed my skin as soft as he whispered, "Roza." As if my name were a prayer—as if every inch of exposed flesh were a bead on a rosary.

_Here's to us_

We were a tangled heap of limbs, flesh, and sheets.

Dimitri brushed some hair behind my ears, slowly guiding his calloused fingers along my cheekbone. I could sense an oncoming declaration of love or something similar, and I wanted to beat him to it.

"Before you say anything, remember we're not in a Nicholas Sparks novel," I said quietly, quickly stroking his hand when it reached my chin. "And considering I've traveled to Siberia for you and I'm already in your bed, you don't need to butter me up with anything." He laughed whole-heartedly in response, and I grinned mischievously. "I don't want you to emasculate yourself like one of those corny characters." I could practically hear his eyes roll in response; otherwise, he didn't acknowledge my dig.

His arms slid around me in a warming embrace, his long fingers curling around my shoulder. He kissed the top of my head before resting his chin there. We sat in silence for a few moments and enjoyed each other's company. We were the only ones who mattered.

Our solace wouldn't last, though; it never did.

_Here's to love_

"They come first," Lissa's voice echoed into nothingness. The soft sound startled me out of my slumber. I suddenly became aware of Dimitri and I spooning with his arms wrapped securely around my waist. I wasn't

"They come first," her voice echoed, and then I was sucked into Lissa's mind.

Someone had blindfolded her, but she was rather calm. I hoped this wasn't some kink with Christian—I'd be pretty pissed if it was. I didn't want Fire Boy to blemish the night I just had with Dimitri. But Lissa simply sat there. She thought only about where she was—with no panic or anticipation. So maybe it wasn't Christian.

"Vasilisa Dragomir," a cold voice sounded somewhere ahead of Lissa. Heels clicked against the floor, growing louder with each step, and came to a rest when their owner stood behind Lissa. "You were invited here today—" the blindfold loosened "—to be one of the elite—" the blindfold fell "—royals of St. Vladimir's."

Lissa surveyed the room, noticing a lineup of student royals from the secondary campus. She recognized most of them, including one of Christian's estranged Ozera cousins.

Also among them was Aaron Drozdov, her ex-boyfriend who she essentially left for Christian—and who seemed to have made a full recovery since the night Dimitri and I found him in the woods. Lissa avoided eye contact with him. Jesse Zeklos was there, too, a fact that made my stomach churn a bit. He was smirking in amusement towards Lissa, and she rolled her eyes. Jesse meant next to nothing to her since she and I returned to St. Vladimir's.

The heels sounded again, lulling Lissa out of her observation of the royal lineup. She turned to face the heels' owner. There stood bitch-at-first-sight Avery Lazar smirking much like Jesse was, arrogance radiating off of her.

Whatever these "elite" royals—

And much like the other day, I was forced out of Lissa's mind prematurely and most certainly not by Lissa—she hadn't noticed I was there. The unusual force made me dizzy, made my head ache, and made my vision go in and out of focus, so I was rather glad that I was already at rest and not standing. I shut my eyes and rested against Dimitri's slumbering form. I'd talk to him about what I'd seen before breakfast.

**A/N: **I am incredibly sorry for not updating this in so long and for uploading such a short chapter (mostly just to give you all at least something to read), but life has been quite demanding the past couple years. I hold office positions in a few clubs and organizations at uni, and I also recently became an aunt and have been focusing on helping my family with that. Alas, I will try to update faster, but I can't guarantee anything at all. My schedule refuses to take a break.


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